6 Reasons Your New Grad Needs a Pen

It’s graduation time again and whether you have a high school or college graduation to attend, wooden pens, including rollerball pens and fountain pens make the perfect graduation gift.  Here’s why:

1. Lasting…  A handcrafted pen will follow your grad into the “real world.”
2. Chewed on Bic pens just don’t make a good impression at job interviews.
3. Refillable pens are better for the environment.
4. You’ve gone this far, continue to give your grad the tools they need for success.
5. Even though some people think pens for graduations are a cliché, they are still a very useful gift.
6. Engraving is available (but we need about 10 days notice).

Find a great selection of Wooden Pens, Acrylic Pens, and Fountain Pens at The Norsk Woodshop. We ship out the next day to make sure you pen arrives in time for the big day.

Don’t wait, head over to our shop now!

10 Pen Experts to Follow on Twitter

If you found The Norsk Woodshop out of your love for pens and you are on Twitter, you must follow the pen experts listed below today!  Oh, by the way I lied, there are actually 11 if you count @norskwoodshop!

Here is the list (in no particular order):

1. @ThePenWarrior
2. @KookyChick
3. @ExtremelyAvg
4. @pendemonium
5. @inkyjournal
6. @FutureNostalgic
7. @FtnPenHospital
8. @inkophile
9. @the_archer
10. @MrPens
11. @norskwoodshop

If you have any other Pen Experts you follow, please share them with us through comments.

Cocobolo Cigar Pen Giveaway!!!

The giveaway is now closed. I will be announcing the winner soon!

I think it is time for another giveaway don’t you?  Yes, you can win this Cocobolo Cigar Pen!

4 Ways To Enter & 4 Ways To Win!

1. Sign up for our Newsletter.
2. Follow us on Twitter @NorskWoodshop.
3. Become a fan on The Norsk Woodshop Facebook Fan Page.
4. Send out a tweet promoting this giveaway to all your contacts.

Then just comment on this blog post (including your email address) to let me know which of the above you did.  The more you do, the more chances you have to win! 

This giveaway will close at noon on St Patrick’s Day (March 17th, 2010).  The winner will be emailed and posted here soon after. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.

The Fine Print:
The winner will receive the above pictured pen valued at $35.  Shipping will be USPS First Class mail.  I will ship world wide, but the winner will be responsible for any customs or duties incurred in shipping.

New Pens Today

Since it is another chilly day here in Florida I decided to list some pens instead of making them.  Here are the 3 newest pens on The Norsk Woodshop.

Majestic Jr Worthless Wood Rollerball

Purple Maple Burl El Grande Rollerball

Red Curly Maple Baron Rollerball

The Fountain Pen is Back!

Have you tried a fountain pen recently?  Well if you haven’t you are really missing out!  In the past year fountain pens have really started making a resurgence for day to day use.  From the board room to the class room a fountain pen will not only help you improve your handwriting but you will look good too.

Here are a few fountain pens from The Norsk Woodshop as well as links to a few other fountain pens that I just love.

Cocobolo & Platinum Baron Fountain Pen

Worthless Wood Brown Malle & Acrylic Sedona

Black & White Ebony Classic Fountain Pen

Other fountain pen makers

• Lamy
• The Goulet Pen Company
• Edison Pen Company

Macadamia Nut Cigar Pen

You can't believe the interesting graining and figure in Macadamia wood. This cigar was handcrafted from mac nut wood straight from Hawaii.

Pen Stats:
- Macadamia Nut Tree Wood
- Cigar pen kit
- Gold and black accents
- Easily replaceable Parker style ink cartridge
- Gift boxed

Check out more details and photos of this Mac Nut Cigar Pen at The Norsk Woodshop.

Cowabunga Acrylic Euro Pen

Cowabunga man!!! Check out this groovy acyclic European style pen hand turned from Cowabunga acrylic pen blank. The blank is swirled with green, black and white.

Pen Stats:
* European "Euro" style pen
* Gold and black pen kit
* Cowabunga Acrylic pen blank
* Cross style ink refills
* Gift case & pen care sheet

See more photos and buy this Cowabunga Euro Pen today on The Norsk Woodshop.

Dakota Burl Cigar Pen

Impress your friends with this earth friendly pen. This cigar pen is handcrafted using a product called Dakota Burl. Dakota burl is a man made product composed of compressed sunflower seed hulls.

The sunflower seeds give this product a very interesting look including some voids in the material that will be felt in the finished product.

Pen Stats:
* Cigar pen
* Chrome and black pen kit
* Dakota Burl (compressed sunflower shell pen blank)
* Parker style ink refill

See more photos and buy this Dakota Burl Cigar Pen today on The Norsk Woodshop.

Blue Notes Treasury & Our Box Elder Baron

Check out our Blue Box Elder Burl rollerball pen on the Etsy Treasury “Blue Notes”.

Why handcrafted pens are better than a Mont Blanc

I must admit, I have always wanted an Mont Blanc fountain pen or rollerball pen. There is something about that sleek black pen with the signature Mont Blanc star on the cap.  But now that I make my own pens, I am have admit that a fine handcrafted pen is totally better.

1) Individual attention to detail.

2) Each pen is absolutely unique!  The swirls in the wood or acrylic blanks used to build a pen are one of a kind and make the pen uniquely yours.

3) You are supporting a local artist as opposed to a large company.

4) Personal service from the artist who has created your pen and will stand behind it’s workmanship.

So the next time you need a new pen either for yourself or a gift for your spouse, friend, teacher, boss, or family member, be sure to buy handmade.  For a good selection, check out Etsy.com our our shop at http://norskwoodshop.etsy.com.

The Humble Slimline

The slimline pen tends to be underappreciated in the world of handcrafted writing instruments. As pen turners, we all start out with slimlines, not sure why, but we do.  Maybe it is because they use just one commonly available drill bit (7mm), or that the segments are the same length?

I think the slimline or Cross style pen makes a perfect pen for your pocket or purse and also makes a great gift for birthday's, graduations, and other events.

For the humble slimline!

Mesquite & Chrome Slimline

Win a Olympian Elite Rollerball Pen!

Win this beautiful Bethlehem Olive Wood Olympian Elite Rollerball pen!  How you ask?

Just become a fan of The Norsk Woodshop on Facebook by August 31, 2009.  It's that easy!  On September 1st, I will draw at random one fan to win this awesome pen.

To become a fan, just click on the link below and then click on the "Become a Fan" button at the top of our fan page.

Become a Fan Now!!

Rules
New and existing "The Norsk Woodshop Facebook Fans" are eligible. The winner will be drawn by assigning each fan a number from 1 to X (number of fans) then a winner will be selected using the random number generator at http://www.random.org.  The winner will be notified via a personal Facebook message to arrange shipping. The winner will be posted once notified.

Buying Fine Writing Instruments - Tips for Buyers

Precision in one of the tools has been made since ages. It is common for fencers to be very selective on the swords they use. Similarly, if you like writing, then the quality of your writing instruments plays a key role.

Fine writing instruments are rare and exquisite. Take for example pens. In a lot of pens made in the factory, only a few will be really high quality reasonable. This is one of the main reasons why I opt for the hand writing instruments.

Fine writing instruments have a hand and classic elegance about them. This cannot be found in a plant made pen. The best thing is that the Internet has opened a new world of pen manufacturers. Yes, there are hundreds of online artists who craft fine writing instruments.

Tips for Buyers

A smart buyer will always be a complete analysis of a pen before buying it. Contrary to what most people think, there is more than one of its outdoor pen. The pen should feel good in your hands. The weight must be appropriate as well as the pen style.

Here are some factors to take into account during the purchase of fine writing instruments by hand.

• Rarity - Perhaps the rarest finds are the pens that you've heard of in May, but will probably never see. Sheaffer made rare ballpoint pen decorated with beautiful, highly stylized art nouveau swirls.

• Manufacturing - Pens that were decorated with sculptures complex part, love, tree trunk or Japanese designs known as hand painting Maki'e work are usually central to any pen collection.

• Size: The size of the pen must surely be one of the main factors to consider. Take the pen and hold in your hands. T he feels comfortable? If you have large hands, then opt for a pencil with a wider barrel.

• Weight: The weight of a pen can cause fatigue or stress, and even horns in extreme cases. So, always choose a pen that fits your fingers.

• Nib: Without a doubt, one of the most important factors for a serious writer. It is oblique pen, feather pen italic heel or choice. Each of these styles plume modes gives different writing.

• Price: Last but not least, we have the price of the pen. A fine writing instrument should not be judged by the price, but keep an eye on this anyway.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Buying Fine Writing Instruments - Tips for Buyers

Creating a Handcrafted Pen - Part One

The first thing everyone asks when you see one of my pens is "You made that? How?"

In this three part post, I wanted to talk about the process I use to create a pen. Be it a ballpoint Sierra, a Churchill Rollerball, or an El Cap Fountain Pen it is basically the same steps.

1. Select the pen blank & kit


2. Cut & drill the blank


3. Glue the brass center tubes


4. Square the blanks


5. Shape and sand


6. Finish the pen tubes


7. Assemble the pen

In this first post, lets talk about items one through three.

Select the Pen Blank & Kit

To begin each pen, I hand select (or cut) the perfect pen blank. I have a large collection of blanks I have purchased over the Internet from all over the world including Cocobolo, Koa from Hawaii, Maple and Dogwood from the US just to name a few. Some of my pens are also made from Acrylic pen blanks for a more contemporary look.

At this time, I also select a style of pen kit that will make sure that any unique figure or grain in the wood will be best featured. The pen kit contains all the pieces necessary to complete the pen including the writing tip, clips, caps, rings etc.

Cut & drill the blank

Next, using the brass tubes that are included with the pen kit, I size up and mark the blank to make the individual pieces for the pen.

After the blanks are cut I mark the centers of each piece to help in drilling the blank. The blanks are then drilled on a small drill press. The hole in the blank is used to insert a brass tube. The tube gives structure to the pen and makes the pen assembly possible due to the tight tolerances of each part in the pen kit.

Glue the brass center tubes

Next the brass tubes are glued into the drilled blank using CA (i.e. super glue). The glue holds the tube into the blank and helps strengthen the end grain of the wood around the ends of the tubes.

In my next post, I will discuss the mounting and shaping. Post a comment if you have any questions!

Back to the shop...

I finally made it back to the shop tonight after about a 3 week break between family matters, travel to Colorado, and then getting back into the groove.

I turned two pens tonight during a really nice thunderstorm! First was a "Circuit Board" style Sierra pen and the second a chrome cigar made of Ebony.

The pens will be listed in my Etsy shop in the next couple days...